My husband grew up in the middle east and that is why I have a special place in my heart for middle eastern food. It is healthy, colorful, and delicious! I try my best to make sure I cook this cuisine for him so that he feels connected to the place he grew up in. Manaqish is a simple bread topped with zaatar or meat and baked traditionally in a wood fire oven. It is not an uncommon site in the streets of the middle east. The aroma of fresh bread fills the air especially in the evenings. Manaqish is a Lebanese bread mostly had with tea. Zaatar is a mix of herbs and spices and is usually used in making this recipe. You can easily find it at any middle eastern store. Here is my version of this simple yet delicious flat bread.
What you will need:
| Ingredients | Quantity |
|---|---|
| For the dough: | |
| All Purpose Flour | 3 cups |
| Fast Rise Yeast | 2 teaspoons |
| Salt | 1 teaspoon |
| Sugar | 1 teaspoon |
| Warm Water | Around 1 cup |
| Oil | 2 tablespoons |
| For the Zaatar filling: | |
| Zaatar (I used regular and pomegranate zaatar) | 1/4 cup |
| Olive Oil | 1/4 cup |
| For the Meat filling: | |
| Mince Meat | 1/4 cup |
| Zaatar | 2 tablespoons |
| Pomegranate Molasses | 2 tablespoons |
Prep Time: 40 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes for each round of bread
Serving: Makes around 10-15 manaqish
How to make it:
- Mix the all purpose flour, salt, fast rising yeast, and sugar, together in a mixing bowl.
- Now add warm water, little at a time and knead into a soft dough. I used my kitchen aid for this step with the hook attachment.
- When the dough comes together, add the oil and knead for another 5 minutes.
- Make sure that the dough is stringy when you pull it apart.
- Roll into a ball and set aside to rise in a warm place for at least 30 minutes.
- In the mean time, preheat the over to 450 degree F.
- Prepare the filling. I used two types of zaatar for this recipe. The regular thyme zaatar and pomegranate zaatar. Add oil to the zaatar and set aside.
- To make the meat filling, mix the meat, zaatar and pomegranate molasses together and set aside.
- Once, the dough has risen, deflate it.
- Shape the dough into round balls. Dust the surface with flour and roll the dough out. It has to be about 1/4th of an inch thick.
- Place the dough on a cast iron pan or a pizza stone. Add the filling on top. Brush lightly with oil.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes or until the bread begins to brown.
- Enjoy with a warm Arabic coffee or tea.